I didn't see Bonsai as a cheap shot at cat lovers, just as I didn't think Swift's "Proposal" was a cheap shot at the Irish. In fact, I bet the author of the site might actually be surprised at the reaction and attention this has received. Look at the wording at Bonsai carefully. It mentions "fusing cat's tails for carrying convenience", and repeatedly talks about being the "envy of your neighbours". To me, this is very obviously making fun of those who would alter the topology or shape of nature for convenience and vanity. I thought it was much more obvious than Swift's "Proposal".
The nature of satire is that your not making fun of the obvious subject matter (like the Irish). You exagerate the viewpoint of those who would believe or do the same thing in a related or lessor sense in order to make fun of them! Don't you "get it"? Is satire really dead in America?
I have some violations to report!
The movie "Apocalypse Now" is one. That oxen or cow or whatever sure had the anvil falling toward it. We got to see it being sliced up. And it was *real*, or is using real images of abuse not included in such legislation? Is Francis Coppola still in jail?
The movie "Braveheart" is another. They profited from all those abusive images of spearing poor horses. That one wasn't real. So Mel Gibson must obviously be in jail right?
The TV cartoon the "Simpsons" is one more. Here a cat is repeatedly depicted as being sliced up by power tools, getting blown up, and being hung to death by its own intestine. And some parents let their kids watch it. I bet that mouse is in jail! And I can guarentee that they are profiting from this activity!
Oh, perhaps the legislation doesn't cover media, TV movies, books, art, etc. but only the Internet or satire on the Internet? Ahhh... yes perhaps that's it.
Perhaps someone can explain this in more detail.
Satire, not parody. Satire can be funny, or not. Swift's "A Modest Proposal" was given in a rather serious tone without any disclaimers. Did you really think that cooking and eating babies was the message there?
But I seriously question the intellectual capacity of those who look at the Bonsai site and honestly believe the US Government issues kitticulture permits in order to allow people to stuff kittens into Klein bottles with a shoehorn. You *do* know what a Klein bottle is don't you?
You know that poor cat who gets choked to death by his own intestine and cut into pieces on a TV show called the "Simpsons"? That's called satire too. Bet you can't figure out what the message is there either.
They really must be putting something very bad in the water lately... this is proof.
No it is not a parody. It is called "satire". But regardless if you have never heard this term, I'm really trying to get a handle on the degree of stupidity necessary for one to truely believe the US Government issues Kitticulture Permits for the express purpose of "shaping" kittens by inserting them into Klein jars that have no opening using a shoehorn. Is the government secrety contaminating the water again?
Remember back in your younger days when we all had to read A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift, http://art-bin.com/art/omodest.html where the author proposes the solution of cooking and eating Irish babies? There was no indication that this was a "satire" making fun of lessor proposals at that time to deal with the Irish "problem".
I suggest learning what satire is, and how it has been used in literature, art, and media for ages. The Bonsai Kitten site makes fun of those who wish to twist, shape, and modify nature to suite our whims and convenience - even our vanity!!
Slashdot Mirror
I didn't see Bonsai as a cheap shot at cat lovers, just as I didn't think Swift's "Proposal" was a cheap shot at the Irish. In fact, I bet the author of the site might actually be surprised at the reaction and attention this has received. Look at the wording at Bonsai carefully. It mentions "fusing cat's tails for carrying convenience", and repeatedly talks about being the "envy of your neighbours". To me, this is very obviously making fun of those who would alter the topology or shape of nature for convenience and vanity. I thought it was much more obvious than Swift's "Proposal". The nature of satire is that your not making fun of the obvious subject matter (like the Irish). You exagerate the viewpoint of those who would believe or do the same thing in a related or lessor sense in order to make fun of them! Don't you "get it"? Is satire really dead in America?
I have some violations to report! The movie "Apocalypse Now" is one. That oxen or cow or whatever sure had the anvil falling toward it. We got to see it being sliced up. And it was *real*, or is using real images of abuse not included in such legislation? Is Francis Coppola still in jail? The movie "Braveheart" is another. They profited from all those abusive images of spearing poor horses. That one wasn't real. So Mel Gibson must obviously be in jail right? The TV cartoon the "Simpsons" is one more. Here a cat is repeatedly depicted as being sliced up by power tools, getting blown up, and being hung to death by its own intestine. And some parents let their kids watch it. I bet that mouse is in jail! And I can guarentee that they are profiting from this activity! Oh, perhaps the legislation doesn't cover media, TV movies, books, art, etc. but only the Internet or satire on the Internet? Ahhh... yes perhaps that's it. Perhaps someone can explain this in more detail.
Satire, not parody. Satire can be funny, or not. Swift's "A Modest Proposal" was given in a rather serious tone without any disclaimers. Did you really think that cooking and eating babies was the message there?
But I seriously question the intellectual capacity of those who look at the Bonsai site and honestly believe the US Government issues kitticulture permits in order to allow people to stuff kittens into Klein bottles with a shoehorn. You *do* know what a Klein bottle is don't you?
You know that poor cat who gets choked to death by his own intestine and cut into pieces on a TV show called the "Simpsons"? That's called satire too. Bet you can't figure out what the message is there either.
They really must be putting something very bad in the water lately... this is proof.
Sheesh
No it is not a parody. It is called "satire". But regardless if you have never heard this term, I'm really trying to get a handle on the degree of stupidity necessary for one to truely believe the US Government issues Kitticulture Permits for the express purpose of "shaping" kittens by inserting them into Klein jars that have no opening using a shoehorn. Is the government secrety contaminating the water again?
Remember back in your younger days when we all had to read A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift, http://art-bin.com/art/omodest.html where the author proposes the solution of cooking and eating Irish babies? There was no indication that this was a "satire" making fun of lessor proposals at that time to deal with the Irish "problem".
I suggest learning what satire is, and how it has been used in literature, art, and media for ages. The Bonsai Kitten site makes fun of those who wish to twist, shape, and modify nature to suite our whims and convenience - even our vanity!!